KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei has been named as Johor's sports ambassador and will join a stellar cast of world-class athletes in driving sports and youth development initiatives in the state.
The Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, made the announcement during a question and answer session with Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) fans in Johor Bahru on Wednesday March 12).
Tunku Ismail emphasised that his focus was not solely on developing football in Johor but also to elevate all sports in Johor.
Chong Wei, renowned as the "King of Superseries", a three-time Olympic silver medallist and four-time All-England champion, will collaborate with a stellar cast of sports icons, including former New Zealand All-Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams, former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and former Australian footballer Tim Cahill, to drive development programmmes in the state.
"My approach for the youth program for young people is not just focused on football but on all sports, including badminton, basketball, boxing, and rugby," said Tunku Ismail.
He said Johor Mentri Besar (Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi) has decreed that there should be more sports icons.
"For example, insyaAllah, Datuk Lee Chong Wei will be appointed as Johor’s badminton advisor, and Sonny Bill Williams will serve as a rugby advisor, in addition to being a Johor sports icon ambassador.
"We have many others, including Tim Cahill and Khabib (Nurmagomedov), who will be opening a gym here.
"All of them are Johor’s sports ambassadors and icons, with many programmmes set to be introduced for the youth of Johor," said Tunku Ismail.
Currently, JDT have grown into more than just a football club, expanding to include teams across various sports such as futsal, ice hockey, and boxing, with Mohd Fakhan Haron at the helm. I
They also boast a racing team featuring Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, who competes in the Asia Road Racing Championship.
